Recipe: pasta and chickpeas with fennel and lemon
The tang of lemon combines so well with earthy chickpeas

Pasta and chickpeas is a popular dish all over Italy, says Gennaro Contaldo.
The tang of lemon combines so well with earthy chickpeas, I often find myself squeezing extra juice over my portion. Make sure you start by softening the chickpeas the night before.
Serves four people
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 200g dried chickpeas
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small carrots, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, left whole and squashed
- 100g fennel bulb, finely chopped
- 20g wild fennel fronds, roughly chopped (optional)
- thinly pared rind of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 1.8 litres water
- 200g tagliatelle, broken into little pieces
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 unwaxed lemon, zested then quartered
Method
- Place the chickpeas in plenty of cold water with the bicarbonate of soda (this softens the chickpeas and speeds up cooking time) and soak overnight.
- The next day, heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the carrots, garlic and fennel bulb and sweat for 2-3 minutes. Drain the chickpeas and stir in the wild fennel (if using) and lemon rind. Add the water, 1 unwaxed lemon, zested then quartered bring to the boil and simmer over a medium heat for about 2 hours until the chickpeas are cooked.
- When cooked, season to taste, increase the heat, add the pasta – you may need a little more boiling water – and cook until the pasta is al dente.
- Serve with parmesan, freshly grated lemon zest and the lemon quarters for squeezing.
Taken from Gennaro’s Limoni: Vibrant Italian Recipes Celebrating the Lemon by Gennaro Contaldo, available from The Week Bookshop for £20.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetime
Feature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
-
Book reviews: ‘We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution’ and ‘Will There Ever Be Another You’
Feature The many attempts to amend the U.S. Constitution and Patricia Lockwood’s struggle with long Covid
-
Philadelphia’s Calder Gardens
Feature A permanent new museum
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipe
The Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Susie Dent picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends The lexicographer and etymologist shares works by Jane Goodall, Noel Streatfeild and Madeleine Pelling
-
6 incredible homes under $1 million
Feature Featuring a home in the National Historic Landmark District of Virginia and a renovated mid-century modern house in Washington
-
The Harder They Come: ‘triumphant’ adaptation of cinema classic
The Week Recommends ‘Uniformly excellent’ cast follow an aspiring musician facing the ‘corruption’ of Kingston, Jamaica
-
House of Guinness: ‘rip-roaring’ Dublin brewing dynasty period drama
The Week Recommends The Irish series mixes the family tangles of ‘Downton’ and ‘Succession’ for a ‘dark’ and ‘quaffable’ watch